Sphagnum isoviitae
Sphagnum alaskense
leaves triangular to lingulate-triangular, equal to or more than 0.8 mm, spreading to appressed;
apex acute to apiculate, hyaline cells mostly efibrillose and nonseptate.
leaves to 1.7 × 1.2 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells nonseptate to occasionally septate, comb-lamellae absent.
± straight and somewhat tapered, usually 5-ranked, leaves not greatly elongated at branch distal end.
long and tapering.
narrowly ovate-lanceolate, greater than 1.2 mm, straight, slightly undulate and weakly recurved when dry, margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell in apical end, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells in transverse section triangular to ovate-triangular and well-enclosed on the concave surface.
broadly ovate, to 3 × 2.3 mm;
hyaline cells on proximal half of convex surface with elliptical pores along the commissures, often with ridges running parallel to long leaf axis on hyaline cell surface overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells elliptical and just enclosed on both surfaces in transverse section;
end walls not thickened.
dioicous.
dioicous.
not seen.
24–33 µm; finely papillose on the superficial surface.
unknown.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems green and often reddish at proximal end, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with large round pores on the superficial wall.
Sphagnum isoviitae
Sphagnum alaskense
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum isoviitae. See discussion under 26. S. brevifolium and 28. S. fallax for distinction from these similar species. Sphagnum isoviitae has no range overlap with S. pacificum, the other North American species of the S. recurvum complex with apiculate stem leaves; the sharply recurved branch leaves of the latter, however, would separate it easily in any case. Spore features are those given by Flatberg.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sphagnum alaskense most resembles S. magellanicum and S. centrale in its chorophyll cell cross section. The cross section characteristic is most similar to that of S. centrale but S. alaskense lacks thickened walls. Sphagnum alaskense also apparently does not have any range overlap with S. centrale, the latter being more of a boreal forest species. Sphagnum alaskense occurs in more open and less mineral rich sites near the coast. Sphagnum magellanicum has more well-enclosed chlorophyll cells and usually has some purplish coloration, whereas S. alaskense often has a quite distinctive pinkish brown color which, along with its often large flattened capitula, can give it a distinctive look in the field.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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